Clamp and blood bag system

A clamp that closes a flow path of a flexible tube when the clamp is in a closed position and opens the flow path of the flexible tube when the clamp is in a released position, comprising:

• a base section having a first protrusion section that makes contact with a side surface of the tube;
• an opening/closing section having a second protrusion section that closes the flow path of the tube by pressing the side surface of the tube toward the first protrusion section;
• an intermediate section connecting the base section and the opening/closing section;
• the base section including a pair of cutout sections through which the tube is to pass, the first protrusion section being interposed between the pair of cutout sections;
• the first protrusion section and the pair of cutout sections being configured such that a portion of the tube passing through the clamp when the clamp is installed on the tube is bent when the clamp is in the released position, wherein the side surface of the tube contacts the first protrusion section between the pair of cutout sections;
• and
• wherein each of the pair of cutout sections is opened to a side surface located perpendicularly to an arrangement direction of the pair of cutout sections of the base section, which is an extending direction (X) of the base section, and is formed in a substantially L-shaped as seen in a plan view, wherein each of the cutout sections comprises:
• a holding hole that holds the tube, each of the holding holes penetrating an outer surface and an inner surface of the base section;
• a holding surface is located in an opening/closing section side of the holding hole of at least one of the cutout sections, the holding surface being located in a bottom surface side of the base section relative to a position displaced from a leading end of the first protrusion section toward the opening/closing section side by an outer diameter length of the tube;
• and
• wherein a positional relationship of each of the holding holes, the first protrusion, and the second protrusion is such that the tube has an entry-to-exit angle between 110° and 150°.

A clamp positionable along a length of a flexible tube to close a flow path of the flexible tube when the clamp is in a closed position and to open the flow path of the flexible tube when the clamp is in a released position, comprising:

• a base section possessing a bottom surface and an inner surface facing opposite directions, the base section also possessing side surfaces which intersect and extend away from the bottom surface, the base section including a first protrusion projecting from the inner surface to make contact with a side surface of the tube when the clamp is mounted on the tube;
• an opening/closing section positioned in spaced apart and opposing relation to the base section so that a space exists between the opening/closing section and the base section, the opening/closing section including a second protrusion that projects toward the inner surface of the base section, the second protrusion being positioned to make contact with the flexible tube without closing the flow path of the tube when the clamp is in the released position and to make contact with the flexible tube and press the flexible tube toward the first protrusion to close off the flow path in the flexible tube when the clamp is in the closed position;
• an intermediate section connecting the base section and the opening/closing section in a manner permitting the opening/closing section to move toward the base section when the clamp is in the released position;
• the base section including first and second cutout sections through which the tube passes when the clamp is mounted on the tube, the first protrusion being positioned between the first and second cutout sections so that the first cutout section, the first protrusion and the second cutout section are arranged in order in an arrangement direction which is perpendicular to the side surfaces of the base section, the arrangement direction being an extending direction (X) of the base section;
• the first protrusion and the first and second cutout sections being configured such that a portion of the tube passing through the clamp when the clamp is positioned along the tube is bent when the clamp is in the released position, wherein the side surface of the tube contacts the first protrusion section between the first and second cutout sections;
• and
• each of the first and second cutout sections being opened to one of the side surfaces of the base section located perpendicularly to the arrangement direction of the pair of the cutout sections of the base section, and is formed in a substantially L-shape as seen in a plan view, and wherein the first and second cutout sections each have an opening on a planar portion of a bottom surface of the base section and the openings of the first and second cutout sections are at ends of the first and second cutout sections that are bottom-most ends, and which are opposite from a holding surface, the holding surface being located in a bottom surface side of the base section relative to a position displaced from a leading end of the first protrusion section toward the opening/closing section side by an outer diameter length of the tube, and wherein a positional relationship of the first cutout section, the second cutout section, the first protrusion, and the second protrusion is such that the tube is configured to extend about an entry axis.